A Different Kind of Nomad
by JackieStarSister
Summary: A post-Book 1 novella in which Korra and the boys take the airbender kids on an outing, but lose them in Republic CIty. While a search ensues, Jinora, who is still dealing with memories of being captured, tries to find a way home herself.
1. An Outing

_Published May 27, 2013_

Chapter One  
"An Outing"

"Don't lean too far over the railing!" This warning came from Mako, who was used to having to watch out for people.

"If we start to fall, we'll just airbend ourselves back up," Jinora reasoned.

Ikki pushed herself up on her arms, leaning far out to look at the city they were approaching. "I'm so excited, I don't know what I want to do first!"

Korra held up her fingers and ticked off things to do. "Jinora wants to go to the library, and see the statues of Toph Beifong and Fire Lord Zuko. Ikki wants to play in the park and try unhealthy foods. And Meelo wants to go to the circus."

"So do I!" Ikki put in. "And so does Jinora!"

"And me!" Bolin said, raising his hand as if voting. "Hey Mako, remember when we used to sneak in to watch behind the bleachers?"

Mako gave him a look. "Don't mention that in front of the kids," he said, gesturing to the three children.

"I think Bolin thinks he's still a kid," Korra said in an undertone. Jinora half-smiled at this.

"This is going to be the Best Day Ever," Meelo declared optimistically.

"Aren't you excited?" Ikki demanded of her sister.

"Sure I am." Jinora shrugged, widening her smile.

She tried to relish the feeling of anticipation that she shared with her younger siblings. But at the same time, she felt another sensation, like flutterbats flying in her stomach. Despite what she told herself, she was nervous.

It was the airbender children's first time going into Republic City since they had been captured by the Equalists.

It had been almost two months since then; they'd had time to heal and go back to their regular lives. But no matter how hard she tried, Jinora couldn't think about the city without remembering their most recent visit. Besides that gala just a few months before, she had hardly any other memories of visiting the mainland.

The city was much safer now—that's what all the adults said, as well as Korra and her friends. Still, Republic City was a little … intimidating. Especially to someone as calm and observant as Jinora.

On Air Temple Island, the general atmosphere was relaxed. Jinora was used to that kind of environment, and she liked it.

In the city, it seemed as though everyone was doing something, going somewhere. If the chaos of two rambunctious siblings could be annoying, the chaos of a bustling metropolis was positively overwhelming.

Still, in her mind, she was looking forward to this field trip. It would be fun to hang out with Korra and the brothers, and she was hoping to learn more about the city's history.

"So what's up first?" Mako asked.

Korra had thought this through. "I think we should try the park first; then we can see the circus in the afternoon, and visit the library last." Before Jinora could complain, Korra leaned down to confide to her, "I know you can wait more patiently than these two."

Jinora couldn't disagree.

* * *

The park was actually beautiful, and had a natural feeling, although Jinora wondered if it was actually man-made by water- and earthbenders. Unlike the noisy streets, this place was relatively quiet, peaceful even. There were trees scattered throughout the area, and an asymmetrical pond with several bridges over it at different intervals.

"Can we play hide-and-seek?" Meelo asked.

"That won't work; you guys can't hide quietly," Jinora said.

Ikki spotted something and started running toward it. "Look! There's a playground!" Meelo and Jinora ran with her, prompting the teenage chaperones, plus Naga and Pabu, to follow them.

There were a few other children running around and playing on the set. It was a structure made mostly of wood, with metal slides and rubber swings. There was even a small area squared off for recreational waterbending and earthbending.

"I remember this place!" Jinora realized. She recognized the shape of the playground against the trees. Ikki and Meelo were already entering the play area, running among other children in green and brown and red-tinted clothes. Jinora followed them out of habit, smiling at the chance to let out some energy. Within minutes they had joined the other children in a game of tag.

Naga settled herself a few yards away from the playground, and the three teenagers sat on the grass, keeping an eye on the kids. Pabu came down from Bolin's shoulder and ventured closer to the unknown territory of school-age children. "Careful, Pabu," Bolin cautioned, but he didn't stop his pet from exploring.

One boy stood at the center of a small throng of children, describing the circus performance he'd seen the day before. Except that the way he said everything, it sounded almost like bragging.

Ikki pulled on Jinora's sleeve. "You've been to the circus before." It was not a question.

"That was a long time ago. You were there too, Ikki, you just don't remember it. I can't remember if Meelo had been born by then …"

"So what was it like?" Meelo demanded.

Jinora paused. She didn't remember the day itself so much as she recalled _remembering_ that day. "All I remember is that I wanted cotton candy, but Dad wouldn't let me have any; there were some animals, and I felt bad because they were in cages when they weren't performing; and it started to rain after we left. I don't remember much about the performances."

"One of the acrobats is sick," a small boy announced loudly.

"What?" Ikki was dismayed. "Does that mean it's cancelled?"

"They wouldn't stop the whole show just because one person is missing," another girl argued.

"It's not just one, the others are catching it too …" This gave way to a discussion of contradicting rumors and exaggerations. Jinora rolled her eyes, listening to it.

Suddenly Ikki shrieked with joy. "Pabu!" The fire ferret had scurried into the circle. One very small girl screamed at seeing the rodent at her feet. Ikki leapt forward and tried to catch him, but Pabu darted away between two children's ankles. Some of the kids backed away, while others rushed at the small animal. They made something of a game of it, chasing the fire ferret up and around the play structure.

After a minute, Bolin started to get to his feet, a slightly angry expression on his face. "Sit down," Mako said, holding him back.

"They're harassing Pabu!" Bolin protested.

"Come on, Bolin, they're just having fun," Korra said.

Ikki chased Pabu to the other side of the playground, opposite of where the teenagers were sitting. The fire ferret had had enough. He screeched and scurried as quickly as he could away from the playground.

"Pabu! Come back!" Ikki called out, running after the animal. Meelo followed right behind her.

"Wait, you guys!" Jinora called out, jumping down from the wooden platform. She ran across the grassy expanse, going as fast as she could without the enhancement of airbending. She didn't particularly want people to see her use it in public.

Pabu darted in a zigzag pattern, but kept going in the general direction of the edge of the park. "Ikki, wait!" Jinora shouted.

"We can't lose Pabu!" Ikki shouted over her shoulder. That was true, except that Ikki didn't realize she was one of the people Pabu was running away from.

Jinora's concern grew when she realized how close to the street they were. She lost sight of Pabu completely—he must have gone onto the lower pavement—and Ikki and Meelo were about to cross the busy street. "Guys, stop!" Jinora shouted. They hadn't learned how to cross the street safely.

It was pure luck that the streetlight signal to walk had lit up; the two siblings crossed just before the light went out, and vehicle traffic resumed. Jinora would have to wait, or else risk getting hit by a Satomobile in an attempt to follow them.

She saw Ikki and Meelo run to the left, and then pause, before turning right onto a different block.

Jinora glanced back at the park behind her, wondering if she should run back and get Korra; but if she did that, Ikki and Meelo could wander even further away.

The light came back on, and Jinora crossed the street.

She turned left, as her siblings had done. The serenity of the park disappeared instantly, replaced by the typical buzz of motor vehicles and passersby. Jinora looked all around, worried that she might glance over her siblings if she didn't keep her eyes open.

"Ikki!" she yelled. "Meelo!" There was no answer, except for a few glances from people who happened to notice her as they passed by. Jinora suddenly felt shy, realizing how noticeable and out of place she was in her clean yellow-and-orange suit. She wished she had brought a cloak. She felt conspicuous and exposed.

She looked down every street she came to on her right. She didn't see them, and feared that she might have skipped over the street that Ikki and Meelo had gone down. Should she keep looking, or go back to the park? Korra and the boys had probably noticed their disappearance … but how could she go back, leaving her siblings missing?

Praying that she was going in the right direction, she turned right and started down a new street. She pictured the neighborhood blocks in her head: she would go up and down each street, making her way back to the park. This street was some distance away, so Ikki and Meelo were probably between here and there.

It sounded logical in her mind; she even felt fairly pleased with herself. That's why she was so confused when she came out onto a different street than the one that went by the park.

Now _she_ didn't know where she was.

The fear and panic that she'd been fighting against came on full force.

There were days when Jinora struggled to find a secluded spot, any place where she could be alone for a while. As much as she loved her family, she sometimes needed to get away, for her own mental well-being. But even then, the people she knew were never more than a hundred yards away.

Now, for the first time in her life, she was utterly alone.

* * *

Korra stood up, looking intently at the playground. "Can you see any of them?"

"I thought they were on the other side," Mako said, following her gaze.

Without saying a word, Korra walked around the perimeter of the playground area. She was frowning in concern when she came back to the boys.

"Maybe they're … playing hide-and-seek?" Bolin suggested.

Mako cupped his hands around his mouth. "Meelo! Girls? Playtime's over!"

There was no answer. No brown-haired children in orange-and-yellow uniforms came over to them.

Korra approached some of the other children who had been playing. "Hey, where are the airbenders? The three kids in yellow and orange?"

"They went that way." The girl pointed across the stretch of grass. "They were chasing some kind of animal."

"Pabu!" Bolin exclaimed in realization.

Korra looked at the brothers. "Spread out and look for them; but don't leave the park." Then she ran in the direction that the girl had indicated. Mako and Bolin went off to the other corners of the park.

They returned to the playground within ten minutes, having searched the perimeter of the gardens. Korra's expression was something close to devastated.

"They must have left the park," Bolin concluded, stating the necessary obvious.

"Wouldn't they know better than that?" Mako said.

"We haven't been here for more than an hour, and I've lost all three of them!" Korra slid her hands down her face. "Tenzin is going to _kill_ me! Pema's never going to trust me with the kids again!"

"Korra—" Mako began.

"How can I be responsible for the world if I can't take care of three little kids?"

"You're not—" Bolin tried to say.

"What kind of example am I being to Jinora?"

"_Korra!_" Mako grasped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Calm down. We'll find them. They couldn't have gone far."

"Should we split up?" Bolin suggested. "Then we'll cover more ground."

"No," Mako said, "we should stay together. Naga can track them, right?" He glanced back at the polar-bear dog, who raised her head to look at him.

"We should have made a plan for what to do if we got separated," Korra said.

"Well, next time we'll know better," Bolin said, shrugging and offering an optimistic smile.

"If there is a next time," Korra muttered, mounting Naga. Mako and Bolin climbed up behind her, and Naga started off at a run.

Korra's thoughts formed a rueful prayer._ Aang, they're __your__ grandkids. Please let them be all right!_


	2. Help or Hindrance

_Published June 5, 2013_

Chapter Two  
"Help or Hindrance"

_Is this how Korra felt, when she first came to Republic City?_ Jinora had to wonder. Korra had never told her exactly what happened between the time she arrived and the time when Tenzin agreed to let her stay. Jinora had heard her parents mention something about triads and getting arrested.

Jinora imagined she felt more alone than Korra had then. Korra was older, arguably more powerful, and had always been more confident and self-assured. And when she arrived in the city, she hadn't appreciated how dangerous the place could be.

If only Ikki or Meelo were with her! They weren't shy or afraid of approaching strangers. They were open and honest to a fault.

Jinora was the quiet one. Sure, she could have bursts of energy and enjoyed playing with her siblings, but she was also content to relax with a book, or just daydream.

She didn't know what to do. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers; she knew it was a rule of thumb in any metropolis, and especially here, after everything that had happened recently. What if she approached someone who had supported the Equalists? They might hurt her rather than help her.

As she walked down the streets, Jinora reasoned that she had three options: she could search for her siblings; she could try to make her way back to the park, counting on the teenagers to still be there rather than searching for the children; or she could try to go home, and get her father to sort out this mess.

Jinora heard laughter nearby, among the sounds of motor engines and trolly bells. Her eyes searched farther down the street and fell on some children playing with a ball on the sidewalk. Jinora smiled, recognizing her own age group.

"Excuse me," she said, offering a smile. The kids paused, eyeing the newcomer. They were four boys and a girl, all in threadbare clothes, mostly brown and green in colors. "I'm looking for my friends," Jinora began.

"Are you a monk?" one boy asked.

Jinora frowned distastefully. "Monks are men. Nuns are women."

"Which are you?" one of the kids asked rudely.

"Lay off," a taller boy said. He seemed to be the eldest, though his hat also made him appear taller.

Jinora took a breath. "Listen. I'm looking for my friends—Avatar Korra is one of them. She was with two brothers. And her polar bear-dog—a huge white animal? Seen anything like that?"

"Nope," the boy with the hat answered. "Not today, at least."

"My little brother and sister are missing too. They're small, and they'd be wearing this same outfit," Jinora said, pulling on her shirt.

The children shook their heads. "You're the first airbender I've ever seen," the girl said.

Jinora's shoulders sagged. She looked from one thin face to another. "Can any of you help me?"

"Perhaps," the tall boy said mysteriously. His sly smile made him look almost handsome, but Jinora didn't particularly like it. "Maybe you could give me some incentive?"

Jinora blinked at him. "Huh?"

"What'll you give me if I help you?"

"Oh. Um … I don't have any money." Rather than disappointed, the boy looked … unimpressed. Jinora tried to think of something she could offer. "Maybe—next time I come here, I could give you a ride on my glider."

The boy was still skeptical, but he said, "Alright. What can I do you for—I mean what can I do for you?"

"Can you show me the way to the police station?"

He brushed his chin with his thumb. "_That_, I cannot do."

Jinora was crestfallen. "Why not?"

"The police and I aren't on the best terms."

She furrowed her brow at him. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't look like a wanted criminal."

"I don't see that it's any of your business," the boy said crossly.

Jinora let out a breath, very annoyed by now. "Look, I'm leaving," she said. "If I don't have any leads, I'll just have to comb the whole city. If you can help me at all, now would be a great time to say so."

The boy shrugged. "Sorry, kid." He almost sounded like he meant it.

Jinora sighed as she turned away. It looked like she was on her own.

* * *

Skoochy knew who the girl must be. There were only three people under five feet who would be wearing yellow-and-orange monk uniform: the airbenders who lived on Air Temple Island.

He prudently backed out when she said she wanted to find the police. Then she'd gotten nosy, asking what he had against the cops. She would probably tell her father—the _Councilman_—if he mentioned anything illicit that he had done.

It wasn't until she had started to leave that it occurred to Skoochy: if he helped her, there was a chance her family might do something to reward him. On the other hand, it would run the risk of them wanting to turn him over to the police, or to the nearest orphanage.

He shouldn't have felt bad for her. After all, she had it a lot better than him and his friends. She had a home, a family, food, and status, not to mention the rarest form of bending in the world. But, in any case, he was curious, and there might still be a way for him to benefit from helping her.

"I'll catch you guys later," Skoochy said over his shoulder as he started to run off. He had to run to keep the girl in sight, as she was a fair way ahead of him. This was the sort of thing he was good at: moving fast, dodging people in the way, maneuvering through the streets and sidewalks, never noticed by the subject he was spying on. Sometimes he tailed people just for the fun of it, to practice for when the skill really mattered. When he was at a reasonable distance, he slowed to a casual walk.

The girl kept glancing up at the sky, as though that somehow determined which way she would go. After several minutes of what may or may not have been wandering, they approached the docks. There the airbender stopped, surveying the scene: people docking or casting off or caring for ferries, steamers, and smaller boats.

Skoochy watched as the girl walked out to a lone pier with no boat docked on it. He couldn't see her face; she had her back to him, staring out at the water—or at something on the water. Skoochy tried to follow her gaze, but he only saw the usual landmarks of the bay: Air Temple Island, Avatar Aang Memorial Island, and the Pro-Bending Arena.

When he brought his eyes back on the girl, she was turning around and walking back the way she'd come. Skoochy had to duck behind some wooden cargo crates to avoid being seen. He peeked out at an angle so that she couldn't quite see him. She had turned again, only about fifteen feet away from the end of the pier. She seemed to be bracing herself, or getting in a stance. Then she took off, running down the pier at a surprising speed.

Skoochy's eyes widened. What was she doing?

"HEY!" he shouted, but the airbender had already jumped off the pier.

* * *

Jinora was already holding her breath, so she was semi-prepared when she fell beneath the surface, though she'd really been hoping that she would stay above it. It was much colder than she'd expected. She kicked up back to the surface, gasping for the air she so needed—not to bend, just to breathe.

"So much for that plan," she muttered, wiping the water out of her eyes. She turned in the water and looked back at the pier, and saw that it wasn't deserted, as it had been a moment ago.

The eldest boy from the group she'd spoken to was kneeling on the pier, looking down at her. He tipped up the brim of his cap. "Need a hand?"

"No thanks," Jinora said shortly. She lifted her arms and airbended herself out of the water and onto the pier. She blew herself dry with an outward blast of air. The boy had to stifle a laugh when he saw the state of her hair, puffed outward in all directions. She pulled a ribbon out of her hair, and attempted to smooth it out before putting her bun back in place.

"It may not be any of my business," Skoochy conceded, "but what did you do that for?"

Jinora huffed, trying to retain some dignity. "I was trying to run on the water."

The boy let out an incredulous laugh. "What?" Jinora said. "You've never heard of airbenders running on water?"

He stopped laughing. "Really? You can do that?"

"Well, I've never tried before, but my dad can—if he wants to." She had some distant memory of her father running on the water, one hot summer day. When was the last time he had done that?

"And did you have a purpose for trying that?"

Jinora turned to the water and pointed to the island in the distance. "That's my home. Air Temple Island. I figured I could go home and let my dad know that the others got separated." _And then I wouldn't be lost anymore, either_.

"By the way," she said, a little suspicious, "why did you follow me?"

"Curiosity." The boy folded his arms, looking her over. "If you're that desperate, you need help."

Jinora copied the gesture, looking coolly back at him. "Are you offering?"

"Just 'cause I almost feel bad. You'll owe me a favor."

"Okay; deal." The two of them shook hands. The gesture reminded Jinora of something she should have said earlier. "My name's Jinora."

"Skoochy."

"Is that a nickname?"

"It's the only name I use," he said indifferently. He crossed one leg over the other, leaning back on his arms. "So, what's your bigger problem? Finding your family, or getting home?"

Jinora considered. Korra and the others were bound to return to Air Temple Island eventually. And if she managed to get there, her parents would know that she was all right, and that the others needed to be found.

"I think getting home would make more sense than searching aimlessly through the city," Jinora decided.

"Can't you fly, or something?"

"I need my glider to do that. I left it back on the island."

"Well, normal people take the ferry."

Jinora nodded. "That's how I got here. But Korra has our money and tickets. I've got nothing." She didn't even have pockets in her clothes—it was a sign of having worldly possessions, which monks were supposed to have as few of as possible.

"So you need money. That's a challenge I face every day."

"Really? So how do you do it?"

"Well …" Skoochy hesitated, as though he wasn't sure he could trust her with a secret.

But Jinora remembered what he'd said about the police. "Do you ever steal?"

"It's called pickpocketing."

"You take other people's stuff. That's still stealing."

"Call it what you want," Skoochy snapped. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

Jinora wanted to argue. More than that, she realize she should call off the deal. If this kid had to resort to such a low way to make money, how could he help her earn some honestly?

"Hey, if someone caught you stealing, they'd realize who you are, then call up your parents …"

"I don't want to get home _that_ way," Jinora said, sounding obvious. She was probably going to be in enough trouble as it was; she wasn't going to disgrace her family with criminal activity.

They heard a somewhat familiar chittering noise. Jinora turned her head in surprise, and saw a fire ferret scurrying up to them. "Pabu?"

Skoochy frowned. "Have I seen you before?" he asked. The fire ferret looked back at him blankly.

Jinora looked around the scene of the docks, hoping to see Ikki and Meelo searching for their baby-sitter's pet. But her brother and sister were nowhere to be seen. It seemed that Pabu had finally outrun them.

"Typical," Jinora said sardonically. "The pet comes back, but the siblings stay lost."

"Is he yours?" Skoochy asked, petting the fire ferret.

"He belongs to one of my baby-sitters."

Pabu came up next to her, rubbing his side against her leg. "Hey, you're the one that caused this mess," Jinora said crossly. "If you hadn't run off, Ikki and Meelo wouldn't have followed you, and I wouldn't have left Korra to find them."

Pabu made a dissatisfied whining noise. "He's not going to like you if you just scold him," Skoochy informed her.

"He needs to learn that he can't behave like that again."

Skoochy looked at her strangely, scrutinizing her. "You sound like a grown-up," he realized.

Jinora shrugged. "So sue me."

Skoochy was slightly taken aback, but then looked strangely satisfied with the response. Pabu kept trying to sniff his hands. "Hey, I'm the hungry one, not you," Skoochy said, brushing him off.

"Great. Just great." Jinora stood up, clearly irritated. "My little brother and sister are missing; my baby-sitters are nowhere to be found; and my only help to find any of them are a snarky street kid and a fire ferret."

"Hey." She felt Skoochy's hand on her shoulder, and turned to look at him. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll help you find your friends."

Jinora deflated, knowing that she had little choice, except to believe him. He was the only person who offered or was willing to help her.

Pabu climbed down Skoochy's arm and onto Jinora's shoulder. She couldn't help smiling when she felt his fur tickle the back of her neck. Skoochy remembered the last time he had seen a fire ferret, attempting to do circus tricks …

Skoochy snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I had this idea a while ago, but now that you're here it might actually work!"

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you on the way. Come on!" Skoochy got to his feet and darted back to the main streets, barely looking back to make sure she was following.

Jinora just watched him for a moment. He bewildered her just as much as she surprised him. "This boy is crazy," she said in a flat tone.

Pabu was silent, not arguing either way.


	3. Working and Searching

_Published July 26, 2013_

Chapter Three  
"Working and Searching"

Jinora stared at the tall circus tent before her. She wasn't awed as much as incredulous. "You have got to be kidding me." She tore her eyes away from the tent to look at the boy standing next to her. "_This_ is your idea?"

"Yup," Skoochy confirmed.

"I'm not going to join the circus!"

"Of course not. Not permanently, at least. I'm talking just one night, so you can earn enough for your ticket home."

Jinora tilted her head, considering. "Is that normal?"

"For a circus … hard to say. Most of them—maybe all of them—live, travel, and work together. They put on the same performance in a bunch of different places."

Like nomads, Jinora thought to herself. Skoochy went on, "The acrobats are sick—they all have pentapox, or something like that—so they're missing a third act. That gives you an opening. A _job_ opening."

"How do you know all this?"

"I saw their show yesterday."

Jinora looked at him strangely. "You can't afford to buy food, but you can buy tickets to the circus?"

"Who said I bought anything? There's this great invention called _sneaking._"

Jinora pursed her lips but said nothing. She was getting the feeling that breaches in rules were normal for Skoochy. Skoochy held up the tent's cloth door, and Jinora entered.

The circus looked the way she remembered it, with rows of seats surrounding a ring, and tent posts with nets and ladders attached to them. The only difference was that now there was no crowd of spectators, no performers in the ring. It was strangely quiet inside the cavernous tent.

Quiet, but not empty. A few adults were inside—they might have been performers, but they were out of costume now, so it was hard to tell who was a clown and who was a magician. Skoochy pointed to a man who was speaking to a young woman. "That's the ringmaster. He's the one who puts the show together."

"So what do I do?"

"I'll do the talking. Just follow my lead." Skoochy strode out of the entryway and right into the circus ring, with Jinora following a few feet behind. The ringmaster and the woman stopped talking when they saw them. "Afternoon, my good man," Skoochy said easily.

The good man's expression darkened when he recognized Skoochy. "You! Didn't I say not to show your face here again?"

"You didn't say I couldn't show a _new_ face." Skoochy stepped aside to let him see Jinora.

"Who's she?"

"_She_ is your temporary replacement for act three."

The man looked her over now. Jinora thought she saw something like recognition in his eyes. "You're Councilman Tenzin's daughter, ain't ya?"

Jinora nodded. Skoochy gestured to her. "This is one of the last airbenders. One of only four in the world!"

"Well, maybe five," Jinora corrected. "We don't know yet if my baby brother is an airbender …"

"You know, Kunyo," the young woman said, glancing at the ringmaster, "it's not a bad idea. If she had a decent routine, it might suffice for an act."

"Alright, kid," Kunyo said. "Show me what you can do."

Jinora was taken aback at being put on the spot. "Um … I thought maybe I'd learn the acrobats' routine or something …"

She faltered under Kyno's critical gaze. "That takes precision, timing, months or years of practice. Show me some airbending. Or anything you can do." The man stepped aside and gestured toward the center of the circus ring.

Jinora walked forward, feeling the three pairs of eyes watching her, waiting to be impressed. She'd never felt this kind of pressure before. Her mind nearly went blank, trying to think of a good technique she could show them. There were no airbending gates here, and she didn't have her glider … but Ikki and Meelo hadn't used theirs when they fought off the Equalists. That gave her a place to start.

"Okay. This is called the air scooter." Jinora whirled some air into a ball in her hands; as it expanded, she pushed it under her and balanced herself on it. Then it carried her around the floor, in circles and twists and swirls.

Skoochy spoke up quietly to the ringmaster. "Set that to music …"

"Will you be quiet?" Kunyo snapped. Skoochy fell silent when he realized that the ringmaster was actually watching Jinora, judging her performance.

Jinora let her air scooter dissipate, and then looked around at the cavernous tent, before glancing at the circus performers. "Can I try the trapeze?" she asked.

"If you think you can manage it," Kunyo conceded.

"We have safety harnesses," the woman started to say, but Jinora was already holding up her hands before her face, gauging the distance to the pole on the opposite side of the ring. There was a ladder on it, leading up to the small platform near the tent ceiling, with a net about ten feet below the platforms.

Jinora ran across the diameter of the ring, and continued running up the length of the pole, disregarding the ladder on the other side. Then she climbed up onto the platform, and looked down in time to see the adults gaping at her. She saw Skoochy's impressed expression, and grinned back proudly. She may not be able to run on water, but she could still run fast, even going on vertical surfaces.

The trapeze was set on a hook to keep it in place. Jinora removed it and braced her hands around it. The feeling almost reminded her of learning to hold on to her glider, except that this wood was round instead of straight-edged. She stepped back, pulling the trapeze as high as she could, before jumping forward off the platform.

It was actually rather like a playground swing, except much higher and with a longer distance. Jinora wasn't afraid; she took her time; she knew how to move her body through large spaces of air, with or without her bending. She swung back and forth, once, twice, getting the feel for it, before turning, switching her hands on the trapeze and facing the other way. She managed to keep her momentum, back and forth.

Then, she cheated a little. She used airbending, blowing a small gust out of her mouth to propel herself backwards, flipping herself up and over the bar. That was good; she was glad to know she could turn 360º, but she'd have to do more to impress a crowd. She decided to jump for the platform, once the trapeze was at its peak on that side …

Perhaps she waited too long before letting go; she had gone as far forward as she could, and the trapeze was falling back as she released her grip.

Skoochy and the acrobat girl gasped, but before they could even blink, Jinora sent a blast of air downward; it looked like she was leapfrogging on thin air; and somehow she jumped back onto the next platform. Skoochy laughed triumphantly, and even Ringmaster Kunyo looked impressed.

"That's good!" the young woman called up to her. "Why don't you come back down?"

Jinora obliged, using the air scooter again to get back to the ground. "You got anything else?" Kunyo asked.

"Um, I can make a mini tornado," Jinora offered.

Kunyo raised his eyebrows at her. "Just don't make a mess of things."

She started running around in circles, just inside the ring's circumference. Her pace was normal at first, but then she sped up, and within seconds she accelerated to a speed so fast they almost couldn't see her. But they could see the wind moving, and felt it on their faces. And then they saw the dirt and dust in the ring rising up into a funnel shape.

Jinora slowed down before the tornado could take on a life of its own or overturn any of the bleachers. She'd never tested how big or powerful she could make one, and this didn't seem like the best place to find out.

"If you have confetti, or something, I could blow it out onto the audience. I'm not kidding!" Feeling more confident now, she sucked in an almost inhuman amount of air, then blew it out in a gale the blew the others' hair back and knocked off Skoochy's hat.

The boy retrieved his hat from the bleachers and came back to stand next to the adults. "So what do you say?" he asked as Jinora came back. "She's got talent, she's one of the last of her kind, and she doesn't even need a costume!"

Kunyo had a strange expression on his face. He seemed pleased with Jinora, but still suspicious of Skoochy. He looked between the two of them, the high-standing prodigy and the scruffy street urchin. "What's your case with this girl? Are you taking what she earns?"

"No," Skoochy and Jinora said at the same time. They looked at each other; Skoochy was slightly surprised, but looked grateful.

"Skoochy just had the idea," Jinora explained. "I need to earn money."

Kunyo folded his arms, finally nodding in consent. "Alright, kid, you're hired."

Jinora's mouth dropped open in a smile. Then she remembered her manners and bowed. "Thank you."

Then she turned to Skoochy, squealing in a way reminiscent of Ikki, clasping her hands against her chest in excitement. "Yes! My very first job!"

"Way to go." Skoochy held up a clenched fist. Jinora jumped back, looking startled. He blinked at her reaction. "What?"

"I thought you were going to hit me," she said without thinking.

"No!" Skoochy laughed. "Put your fist out."

Jinora did so, and Skoochy knocked his fist against hers. "It's called a 'brofist'," Skoochy explained.

"Is that like a high-five?"

He grinned. "It's much cooler."

Jinora couldn't help smiling back. It gave her a good, almost rebellious feeling to be called _cool._ And having her bending praised—especially by someone who was used to seeing the strange and impressive—made her more proud than she'd felt in a long time.

"Okay, you go on with the show, and I'll keep looking for your friends. I'll meet you back here at the end of the show."

Jinora was slightly taken aback. Skoochy was the one who had found her this job, and he was the only person she knew here. But, what he said made sense; they still needed to find her siblings and their baby-sitters, if they could.

Pabu rubbed up against her ankle. She bent down to scoop him up. "You should take Pabu; maybe he can help find the others." Jinora stroked the Fire Ferret's fur. "Keep Skoochy out of trouble, okay? And find Ikki and Meelo!"

Pabu mewed and climbed up Skoochy's outstretched arm, perching on his shoulders. The boy saluted and ran toward the door-flap. "See ya!"

Jinora was rather sorry to see him go. But then the young woman put a hand on her shoulder. "My name's Jadani. I'm Kunyo's assistant, and the acrobats' choreographer. Why don't we figure out a routine for you?"

"Sure."

Jadani took a step back, studying Jinora. "You can keep your uniform, I suppose. I have some makeup you can borrow.

This caught Jinora off guard. "Makeup? But—I'm just a kid." Actually, her family's monastic lifestyle wouldn't have allowed her to use it even as an adult, but she didn't need to mention that.

"The bright lights will make it hard for everyone to see your face clearly. We want the whole audience to see that smile."

"Oh." Said smile became nervous, as Jinora wondered, with a little apprehension, what Skoochy had gotten her into.

* * *

Korra worried more with every hour that passed. It had been late morning when they made the trip to the mainland. It was after noon now; they could hear the bells on Avatar Aang Memorial signal the time with each hour.

"If we don't find them in another twenty minutes," Mako said finally, "we'll have to go to the police."

Korra was unhappy about this, but she knew he was right. It was the responsible thing to do. If only it wasn't so hard for her to admit mistakes …

"Hold the phone," Bolin said, pointing to small throng of people gathered on the corner of a side street. From their height on Naga, he could see it was some kind of cart, and the man next to it was making something. "I see balloon animals!"

"Bolin, this is _not_ the time," Mako started to say, just before a child's shriek sounded over the crowd.

"That sounds like Ikki!" Korra got down from Naga and hurried in the direction of the laughter, with Bolin and Mako close on her heels. They pushed their way over to the cart, where they found a group of children, including Ikki and Meelo. "Guys! You're okay!"

Ikki and Meelo brightened up when they saw the teenagers. "Korra, look at what we made!" Meelo said, holding up two white balloon animals. One of them had long arms that might have been wings, and the other had six legs.

"It's a flying lemur! And this one's a sky bison! I made them myself." Ikki drew herself up, beaming with pride.

Bolin took the balloon bison and held it up. "Wow. This is impressive," he complimented. "Seriously."

"You guys shouldn't have run off like that, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Korra frowned at the two of them. "Where's Jinora?"

Ikki's happy expression faded quickly. "We thought she was still with you." She paused. "Oh, and Pabu's missing too."

"Oh," Bolin said. "Well, if they're with each other, they should be okay. Right?" He looked to Mako and Korra, as if expecting some agreement or reassurance.

"Jinora's smart," Korra said. "What would she do if she were lost?"

Mako supplied an answer. "She'd go to the police for help … or she'd try to look for us. Like, where we said we'd be going."

"Who thinks she'd head for the library?" Bolin volunteered.

"She _would_," Korra conceded. "And there's also the circus."

"We're still going to see that, right?" Ikki asked, looking between each of the teenagers.

"I can't promise we'll do anything until we find your sister," Korra said. Ikki pouted.

"Should we split up?" Bolin suggested.

"No," Mako said, "we can't risk losing each other again. We stick together."

"That'll take longer," Korra said grudgingly, "but, okay."

Mako followed her up onto Naga's saddle. "The library's closer; we'll check there first. Then we'll let the police know that she needs to be found."

Bolin reached to help the two airbenders up, but they gave got up on their own with airbending-enhanced jumps. He rolled his eyes and then took climbed onto the back of the saddle, taking care not to fall off or squish Meelo between him and Mako.

Two down, one to go.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry this update took so long! I'm actually kind of reassured knowing that the new season is scheduled for September, that gives me more time to finish this story.

I don't really do original characters, but a couple were necessary to make this chapter possible, and I gave them names to simplify how I refer to them.

I looked up the Avatar Wiki page on airbending to learn more about the techniques described here. In a section on Enhanced Speed, it says airbenders can run on vertical surfaces (as we've seen Aang do) "by generating a wind current behind themselves to propel themselves forward." They can also "run swiftly by decreasing air resistance around them." And, to support Jinora's attempt in the previous chapter, "A master airbender can use this technique to briefly run across water."

**Disclaimer**: I will humbly admit that the circus idea was inspired by Grasspaw's fan fiction "Of Circus Tricks and Courageous Acts." The "brofist" exchange is borrowed from "LOK: Skoochy" by TigJones on DeviantArt.


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